Feeding the microbiota-gut-brain axis: diet, microbiome, and neuropsychiatry.

Harriët Schellekens, John F Cryan, Kiran V Sandhu, Eoin Sherwin, Catherine Stanton, Timothy G Dinan

Journal: Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine 2017;179():223-244

PMID: 27832936

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

The microbial population residing within the human gut represents one of the most densely populated microbial niche in the human body with growing evidence showing it playing a key role in the regulation of behavior and brain function. The bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the brain, the microbiota-gut-brain axis, occurs through various pathways including the vagus nerve, the immune system, neuroendocrine pathways, and bacteria-derived metabolites. This axis has been shown to influence neurotransmission and the behavior that are often associated with neuropsychiatric conditions. Therefore, research targeting the modulation of this gut microbiota as a novel therapy for the treatment of various neuropsychiatric conditions is gaining interest. Numerous factors have been highlighted to influence gut microbiota composition, including genetics, health status, mode of birth, and environment. However, it is diet composition and nutritional status that has repeatedly been shown to be one of the most critical modifiable factors regulating the gut microbiota at different time points across the lifespan and under various health conditions. Thus the microbiota is poised to play a key role in nutritional interventions for maintaining brain health.

Address: APC Microbiome institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.; APC Microbiome institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.; APC Microbiome institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Teagasc Moorepark Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Co, Cork, Ireland.; APC Microbiome institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.; APC Microbiome institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2016.10.002

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MeSH Terms: Age Factors, Brain, Diet, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Gastrointestinal Tract, Humans, Microbiota, Neuropsychiatry